The University of Vermont has received 25,146 applications for fall 2015, an all-time high. The university received applications from all 50 states and from 85 countries.

The university set application records both in its traditional markets of New England, New York and New Jersey and in states like Florida and North Carolina, beyond its historic recruiting area. It also held steady in western states like California, Texas and Washington that have seen record gains in recent years.

“While our reach continues to be strong in Vermont and the northeast,” said Beth Wiser, director of admissions at UVM, “students from across the U.S. and the world are putting UVM on their list of schools to consider.”

The record numbers speak to the appeal of UVM’s model of emphasizing undergraduate education within the setting of a research university, Wiser said.         

“UVM faculty are top scholars who publish in the best journals, but they also teach undergraduates,” she said. Students benefit from working with faculty who are at the forefront of their fields, can offer them resume-building opportunities to work with them on their research, and have large professional networks students can tap, Wiser said.

According to Stacey Kostell, UVM's vice president for enrollment management, the university's record of providing value is another factor driving application growth.

“A year after graduation, 90 percent of our students have full time employment or are in graduate school,” Kostell said. "They are also admitted to medical and law school at a rate 10 percentage points higher than the national average," she said.

Student success also travels back to high schools and is contributing to application growth, said Wiser. “Our students are our best ambassadors. When they’re successful and share their UVM experience with students, teachers and counselors at their home high schools, that has an impact.”